Birmingham City Slam Aston Villa Bound Alex McLeish

Published June 13, 2011 | By Rolly (online)

The Birmingham City board have slammed the decision of walkaway coach Alex McLeish to leave the club with a potential move to city rivals Aston Villa firmly on the cards.

Birmingham City were rocked by Sunday’s news that coach Alex McLeish had decided to call time as Blues boss with McLeish’s resignation coming via email while Birmingham’s acting Chairman Peter Pannu was on business in Amsterdam.

A club statement emerged on Sunday evening confirming McLeish’s actions:

“Birmingham City Football Club can confirm that Alex McLeish has resigned as manager,” the statement read. “Acting chairman Peter Pannu received an email resignation from McLeish earlier today while away on business in Amsterdam.

“No further comment will be made at this moment in time and updates will be released in due course.”

Pannu has now written to Aston Villa’s chief executive Paul Faulkner directly to openly warn his local rivals that they could face legal action if Alex McLeish is named as Gérard Houllier’s successor before slamming McLeish’s actions.

”We spent £40million on his team, supported him all the way and what we get is relegation and then a snub,” Pannu was quoted as saying by The Sun.

”I won’t blame any outside clubs until I find out more. He is still our contracted staff and BCFC does not grant him any right to speak to any outsiders until the matter is resolved. I will be meeting my legal team tomorrow,” he warned.

Gerard Houllier left Villa Park at the end of the season and with the club going through a transition period as they seek a new manager, it is understood that Villa are ready and willing to talk with McLeish.

Aston Villa themselves made no official comment concerning the news on Sunday night, but McLeish’s resignation comes a day after the Scot emerged as the bookmakers’ favourite to become the next Villa manager.

McLeish joined Birmingham in 2007 and having oversaw two relegations, still managed to get his side promoted twice before landing the club a major trophy when they defeated Arsenal 2-1 in February’s Carling Cup final.

Posted in News | Tagged Alex McLeish, Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Job, Manager, Premiership, Randy Learner, Sack Race

http://www.premierleagueheroes.co.uk Leigh

Absolute madness appointing McLeish as manager of Villa. The fans backlash would be huge – way bigger than the 400 or so that protested against the recent appointment of Danny Wilson who moved from Sheffield Wednesday to Sheffield United. Listen to the fans Lerner this will stir up one of the biggest hornet’s nest in recent football history
http://www.inthestands.co.uk/ Shaw

Also he’s not a proved top 6 manager – which Aston Villa need. (Winning anything in the Scottish league doesn’t count). Mark Hughes is the only logical option, really.